An electrical malfunction led to a fire at Valley Hills Mall on Tuesday morning.
Hickory Fire Department responded to an activated fire alarm at 5:05 a.m. Tuesday at the mall, 1960 U.S. 70 SE. Even though no smoke was seen from the outside of the mall, firefighters were let into the building by a security guard. The guard confirmed he smelled smoke inside the mall.
After searching the mall, firefighters saw smoke and water coming from the Hot Topic store on the mall's lower level. Firefighters forced entry into the store and found smoke in Hot Topic's storage area.

An electrical malfunction led to a fire at Valley Hills Mall on Tuesday morning.
Hickory Fire Department responded to an activated fire alarm at 5:05 a.m. Tuesday at the mall, 1960 U.S. 70 SE. Even though no smoke was seen from the outside of the mall, firefighters were let into the building by a security guard. The guard confirmed he smelled smoke inside the mall.
After searching the mall, firefighters saw smoke and water coming from the Hot Topic store on the mall's lower level. Firefighters forced entry into the store and found smoke in Hot Topic's storage area.
The fire started in the vent fan of the store's bathroom. The sprinkler system controlled the fire. Firefighters extinguished any smoldering items and turned off the sprinkler system upon arrival.
The store was closed Tuesday, along with other stories sitting beside Hot Topic and kiosks located in the center of the mall that had water damage. Hot Topic suffered about $60,000 in damage from the fire, as well as smoke and water residue.
One mall escalator was also closed Tuesday for electrical repairs.
No one was injured at the time of the fire.